Improved fork for feach-farers



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Lette/rs Patent No. 93,887, dated August 17, 1869.

IMPROVE!) FORK .'OR PEACH-PARERS.

The Schedule referred to :in these Letters Patent and making part of the salme.

To all whom it may conce/rn.-

Be it known that I, CHAR-LES D. HOUSE, of Lake Village, in the county of' Belknap7 and State of New Hampshire, have invented a new`and useful Improvement in Machines for Baring Peaches; and vI do hereby declare that the following is full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon. l

The nature of my invention consists in combining two hinged forks with springs, in such a manner, that when thrust into a peach, the tines or prongs shall, by means of the spring, grasp the peach-stone firmly, like forceps, and hold the peach during the process of paring.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

Figure l is an edge view, showing the edges of the two forks A A, while holding a peach ready for paring.

Figure 2 shows the sides of the forks (both alike.)

Figure 3 is an end`view, showing the four tines of lthe two forks.

AA, fig. 1, are two forks, of two tines each. The tines of each fork are curved inward toward the other ork.

These forks are hinged to the spindle B, by ears c c, which are a part of B, and enter corresponding slots" in theforks, and are held by pins dvd.

e is a spiral spring, extending from one fork to the other, passing through the spindle B, the ends resting in recesses formed from the inner side ofthe forks.

A pin, g, passes through the spindleB, and between the coils ofthe spring e, to keep it in place; consequently it operates like two springs. v

If preferred, recesses may be formed in the sides of the spindle B, to Areceive the ends of two springs instead of one, as-showu. -I

rIhe spindle B, from I to J, is round, and forms the journals omwhich it revolves. The smaller part, J, "e the pinion-gear, the same as is used in apple-paring; machines in common use.

This compound fork can be applied to apple-paring machines in common use, by substituting it in place of the Ifork for apples, thus'making the ordinary appleparing machines available for paring peaches.

The operation is as follows:

Iress upon the forks A A with 'the thumb and forefinger, immediately over the spng e, to open 'thev ,forks sufficiently to receive the stone of the peach;.

then press the peach upon the forks and release the hold upon the forks, when the springs will force the tines of the forks closely upon the stone of the peach, and the rines being curved will hold it firmly, like forceps, when the operation of paring may be performed successfully in the -same manner as upon an apple. will adjust itself to, and 'securely hold any-size peach.

I contemplate the following modifications, as einbodyng the saine principle, viz, three single tines or prongs may be placedequidistant around spindle B, and hinged as described', and forced together by springs, the saine as the forks shown; or, instead of springs, the spindle B may he rounded as -far as the ears c c, and a cone may beV used to slide on the spindle and forced under the ends of the tines or prongs by a spiral spring round the spindle, and thus close the tines, alhat once, by operating like a wedge nnder the inner end of each prong.

In the` plan shown, one fork may be stationary, one only being hinged; also in themodiied plan, one or even two of the prongs maybe stationary, if preferred. But I prefer, in both cases, to hinge them all, as it will bring the centre of different-sized peaches nearer on the line of the axis of the spindle, and thus operate better in paring.

I do not claimA hinging and giving elastic pressure to one of the tines of asingle fork; but

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The two forks A A, hinged to the spindle B, and `pressed toward 'each other by a spring or springs, e, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

CHARLES D. HOUSE.

Witnesses:

lJOHN Annalen,

C. I. S WARDWELL;

The construction of this fork is such that it- 

